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Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Hooray! We survived a fun filled, 10 day road trip from Wisconsin to Florida and back. The trip was just what we all needed... A little relaxation, a lot of sleeping in and days of soaking up end-of-summer sun on the beautiful sandy beaches. I always miss blogging when I take a few days off, but it is always nice to step away from the computer, pick up a book and just "be" with the crew.

We arrived home a whole day later than planned, so I apologize I am a bit off with my schedule. Today's tip is one that I have mentioned deep within a post or two before, but I wanted to call it out specifically for anyone who may have missed it because I just love it so much. Plus, it's nice to keep things easy to find for project gallery purposes.

I have a feeling some of you have lost a sock or two at some point in your life; maybe even on a frequent basis like myself. I prefer to blame my sock eating washing machine. Or one of our sock eating dogs.

Quite awhile ago now, I started doing something super simple that prevented us from ever experiencing another sock shortage. Anyone with a plethora of little boys running around probably knows all too well how quickly socks go missing, become worn or are turned into the latest craft project.

Are you ready?

STEP ONE - Grab a mesh garment bag.STEP TWO - Attach garment bag to side of hamper with clips (or hang a separate sock bag in each family member's closet).

STEP THREE - Toss all dirty socks in mesh bag each day.STEP FOUR - Zip up mesh bag and wash all socks in a single load.

And that is it! A sanity saving laundry solution that is about as easy peasy as it gets. No more missing socks!

Purchase a different type/size/brand sock for each family member for easier sorting.

If multiple family members prefer the same sock type, mark the soles with a colored Sharpie marker for easier identification.

If no hamper or mesh bag is available, use small clips or safety pins to attach matching socks together prior to tossing them into the wash.

Keep socks white by adding a dash of oxy-boost or washing powder to the load and washing in cold water. Bleach will only reduce the life span of your socks.

Rolling your socks will keep their form longer than tying/balling them in your drawer.

To get my kiddos into the habit of sorting out their socks, I left a sock hanging out of the mesh bag to grab their attention/serve as a reminder.

With all of the brand new school socks you just stocked up on, there is no better time to give this quick tip a whirl. Speaking of school, I am spending the rest of this week getting the kids (and myself) prepared and finishing up some school related shopping and projects. Only a few days of summer vacation remain!

27 comments:

The mesh bag thing never worked for us. What did work was safety pinning them together at the tops. Now we always have a pair of socks, instead of solos. And putting them away when folding laundry is even easier since they stay attached. The hardest part of any routine is getting everyone to follow it but I've persevered and I never have to hunt down and match socks anymore.

I do the exact same thing for my bras...keeps them from tangling and, yes, I wash them in the washer, no hand washing...I just don't have the inclination to do that, so this is the next best thing for me! This will be perfect for my small footie socks, never thought of that until seeing this tip. Great tips as usual! Rosie

Great idea. We have a "sock bag" for when they come out of the wash but had never thought of putting them all zipped together in the wash. We also just got back from a road trip (also a day late and also passed through Wisconsin.) Where did you go in Wisconsin?

OMG. I did this, too. I used a heavy duty clamp from the Home Depot on each kid's and our laundry basket, though, so they can't pull off the zippered bag! Less attractive, but more sturdy... It has been a Godsend!

Hi Patti! Mine is from Crate & Barrel quite a few years ago now. It looks pretty similar to the one here: http://www.allmodern.com/Home-Basics-Chevron-Square-Hamper-SB01865-HOBA1538.html?PiID[]=14055313

When my kids were little (babies and toddlers) the mesh bag was a must - no missing socks ever! Now that my kids are older there is the occasional missing sock - I should really go back to the mesh bag! :)

I use this system for my lingerie. I have a bag for light and one for dark colors. Each day I drop the worn items into the appropriate bag which is hanging inside our pull-out hamper. Then when needed I zip the top and toss the whole bag in for a delicate wash. Simple and easy!

Very good tip :) So far I've been hanging up single socks in the bedroom :D So when another laundry load is done then I have a visual on which socks are without partners. I do like your idea better though :D

I am glad you had a great time away. I wish I could soak up some sun, like I should be complaining being it was beautiful today. I am not ready for the colder temps though. What a neat idea to do with the PVC and cans. I am going to have to try that one. Have a great weekend, Jen.

This is something we started when we had a baby. Baby socks are even smaller and easier to loose I swear. Never thought to do it for the adult socks. The other thing is I keep a basket that says seeking sole mate in the laundry room so one-offs go in there till a mate is found.

I've been doing this trick since you published it and it's awesome. For my husband, who has his own laundry bag, it's perfect for his socks. And on my own laundry basket, it's perfect to collect bras and panties which are quite fragile and need to be washed in a mesh bag. Thanks for the tip!

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